


New Friendships

by clarka



Series: The Adventures of Trollhunter Claire and Half Troll Jim [1]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Gen, Troll Jim, half troll jim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 19:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17289626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarka/pseuds/clarka
Summary: Barbara has felt like she's been drowning in stress for a year. One of her many worries is her son's emotional state. With his father leaving to do god knows what she is the only person left in his life. He can't go to school or make friends with the neighbours like a normal kid would. Though keeping a roof over his head and buying food to eat were at the top priorities as a mother one of her next would be to help Jim make a friend but it turns out he doesn't need her help with that after all.





	New Friendships

Saying Barbara was exhausted was an understatement. She was exhausted as college student. She was exhausted when she was a trainee nurse. She was exhausted when she was pregnant. She was exhausted with new-born with a partner to help with. This past year made all that seem like a dream, because this past year Barbara had been a working single parent to her home-schooled half troll son who only she knew about. Well except for his father who left them on Jim's fifth birthday. She didn't know a lot about Trolls but from what her partner said about them. they wouldn't welcome her Jim and she knew enough about humans to know that their most likely reaction to her son's existence would be pitchforks and mobs. 

So, Barbara's normal weekday would be leaving her nocturnal son, asleep, at home whilst she worked her shift at the hospital and then coming home to look after him. Thankfully due to his Troll heritage Jim seemed to enjoy her cooking or even some old forks and sometimes if she was home late, she would find him in kitchen making his own meals so feeding him wasn't so hard. Other areas of his well-being were not so simple. He was a bundle of energy and she was nothing compared to his father's trollish stamina, so she couldn't exercise him very well in the house. Though he enjoyed climbing the tree in the yard so at least he had that. Then there was his education. Barbara didn't know the first thing about child education. Her partner had only been able to teach him troll subjects which she knew nothing about, so she had to start from scratch. 

Her main problem was never knowing when Jim was being human normal, troll normal or neither. But she was tough, and she knew her Jim was just as. She would regularly fall asleep when looking after Jim instead of in her designated nap times of the night and she would awake to her glasses off, a blanket over her and several household chores done. Half the time he looked after her when it should be the other way around. Barbara would often find him looking sad probably missing his dad but when he noticed her, he would break into a smile. Jim was getting so smart and mature she never knew when it was real or not. A part of her hoped it was his troll heritage causing this and not her parenting. 

 

It was lunchtime break when her phone rang, unknown caller. She almost didn't pick it up. "Hello." Barbara greeted.

"Oh, hello is this Ms. Lake from number two." A female and possibly old voice asked.

"Yes, and who is this?" Questioned Barbara, the voice sounded familiar she just put it to a face or name.

"This is Nancy Domzalski, I live with my grandson across the road from your house. You gave me this number in case of an emergency and I'm not sure if there is one." Replied the woman, Nancy. Barbara could vaguely recall her an old kindly woman with large glasses who moved to the street a similar time when Jim's father left.

"What happened?" She questioned with her mind producing all sorts of terrifying scenarios of her son injured or dead. "Well my grandson, Toby, was playing in the backyard quietly but I heard some noises. My eyes are admittedly quite bad, but my ears are still pretty lively I’ll tell you that." Nancy chatted, "I used to always have someone watching Toby with me because of it when he was small, never could tell if he was eating his food or dirt, always liked to put the strangest of things in his mouth my Tobias."

"Nancy, sorry to rush but my lunch break is nearly over so if you could get to emergency please?" Barbara lied, her break had just started but she was desperate to find out what was causing the hullabaloo. "Oh, I'm sorry my dear, I my mind does tend to wonder. But do you happen to have a son or looking after a small boy named Jim?" Nancy said. Barbara almost dropped the phone she knew, Nancy knew!

She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Why would you like to know?" She replied trying to keep it as vague as possible. “Well the noises I heard were my Toby-pie and another boy playing together. The other kids at school were sometimes mean to Toby so at first, I was happy to hear him playing with another child happily but then I realised I didn’t know who the child was. Toby said he had found him looking at him over the fence and invited him to play. My son was rather like that too shy until someone else was shyer but oh yes back to point. He said his name was Jim and he lived across the road. I then asked him about his parents and he said his mom was working but you could understand my concern. I just wanted to make sure he did have parents and wasn’t homeless, the poor dear.” Replied Nancy.  
Barbara mind was racing with what lies she was going to tell the old lady. “Um yes that must be my son, he’s uh home-schooled,” she then remembered it was summer vacation, “But I guess that’s not important he has a sitter, but um they are not the usual one we have so maybe they um left him alone and he got out.” She lied hoping it was enough.

“Oh, what a disaster, it’s lucky your son got here and didn’t wonder off somewhere dangerous. ” Nancy responded, Barbara shared this sentiment as even though she was in a state of extreme anxiety right now she was growing fond of Nancy. “Thank you so much Nancy, I can be there in ten minutes my boss will let me finish early for an emergency.” Blurted Barbara.  
“Oh, nonsense I can look after him until you get off work. I may be nearly blind but I’m pretty good with children. There’s no reason for you to miss work for this. Its no longer an emergency. And please call me Nana.” Chuckled Nancy, no Nana. Barbara couldn’t bring herself to deny the old woman’s kindness. One afternoon wouldn’t hurt. Nana wouldn’t be able to see that Jim didn’t look like the other kids and no one would believe her Grandson, Toby if he told anyone that his new friend was blue and had horns. Everything would be fine. Everything would be fine. “Are you sure?” Inquired Barbara one last time.  
“Of course, my dear.” Nana responded. Everything will be fine.  
“Thank you, really thank you. And don’t think I won’t pay you back someday for this. “ Said Barbara gratefully.  
“I wouldn’t dream of it. See you soon, dear!” Nana said happily and the hung up. Maybe Jim wasn’t the only one who made a friend today.

 

Barbara rang the doorbell. It felt like an eternity, the whole afternoon did. She was glad nothing much happened at work because her concentration wasn’t at it’s highest. She was about to ring it again when it opened. “Barbara!” Exclaimed Nana wrapping her into a tight hug. Barbara smiled, it had been a while since someone other than Jim had hugged her. “Nancy, I mean Nana.” She corrected once seeing the other women’s look of disapproval. “The boys are just finishing up a game of something. A make belief game they made up with monsters, they seem to be having such a wonderful time.” Nana chatted, guiding Barbara towards her backyard. “Mommy!” Cried Jim rushing towards her before they even got outside and giving her the second bone crushing hug of the day.

“Jim if you keep hugging that much, I’ll snap in two.” She joked ruffling his already messy hair. Nana laughed too, “I wouldn’t be surprised you really need more cookies, dear. You’re just skin and bones.” Commented Nana, who already seemed to go looking around for some food to fatten up Barbara with. “Mommy, can me and Tobes finish up the game we’re playing? Pretty please it will only take five minutes, I promise!” Jim begged, eager to get back to his friend. Barbara almost cried tears of happiness, “Of course, take as long as you like.”  
The big, bright smile on Jim’s face was by far one of the most beautiful things in the world. He gave her a quick hug then went back outside, running towards the other boy as if his life depended on it.

“Does Jim struggle to make friends too?” Asked Nana, starting Barbara. She was so preoccupied with Jim she didn’t even notice Nana coming back into the room. “You could say that.” Responded Barbara. At least somethings Jim did was normal.“  
“I don’t want to overstep but is that or the fact that he’s home-schooled to do with his appearance? I mean he looks like every other kid to me, but I get our cats mixed up with our potted plants.” Asked Nana suddenly quite serious. Barbara nodded, glad that their conversation was out of earshot of both children. “I know personally how mean kids can be, but Toby isn’t one of those kids. I mean the first things he said about the way Jim looked when they met could sound bad out of context but after realising Jim was just another kid and was perfectly normal, he seemed to forget.” Nana sighed and smiled. “And now look at them, playing like they’ve known each other their whole lives. Now this may be for selfish reason on my part as I haven’t seen Toby this happy in a long while but Jim is always welcome here if either of you are in need.”  
Barbara couldn’t help but smiling. “And if Toby is as anywhere near as wonderful as his grandmother the same goes for him in our house.”  
“So can Toby come around tomorrow then?” Asked Jim, making both Nana and Barbara jump, he could be quite sneaky when he wanted to. “Maybe Saturday?” Barbara wondered aloud. Nana nodded vigorously and pulled both Lakes into a hug. Everything was more than fine.

**Author's Note:**

> this will be part of a series I will probably never finish but I've been thinking about it since the s3 finale where Jim was always Troll!Jim. I have made some changes to Troll!Jim rules but it's mainly the same also i know this sounds dumb but if anyone spots any mistakes (grammar, spelling, info i got wrong) please comment if thats cool


End file.
